OffiGOH CITY C
OUMM
33d Year
OREGON CITY, OREGON, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1915
Number 31
T 15
OF
TWO AND A HALF HOURS TAK
EN IN FIGURING EXPENSES
' DOWN TO INCOME
ELEVATOR CAUSES MUCH WOE
Charter Amendments Filed for Pub
lication Also Help to Complicate
Discussion of Finances '
The war in Europe and Oregon
City's municipal elevator both have
made their influence felt on the Ore
gon City's budget for 1916; and had
it not been for .these, matters Chief
of Police Shaw, City Engineer Miller
and Street Superintendent Babcock
would have got their salaries raised.
These three, however, fell victims to
the need of strict economy;' and after
two and a half hours discussion last
Friday night the council finally con
structed a budget which on paper
at least will keep Oregon City from
continuing its customary practice of
spending more money than it collects.
Before the budget was taken up
a number of charter amendments
were filed for publication. One of
these was the one initiated by Wil
liam Stone, providing for jury trials
in the recorder's court, and should
this be adopted it is liable to play
hob with the recorder's end of the
budget. Another charter amendment,
filed at the request of Mr. Temple
ton, will, if it carries, knock the bud
get into a cocked hat, for it cuts the
levy from ten mills to seven, as far
as the city's running expenses are
concerned; and then adds another sev
en mills to pay for a proposed $250,
000 bond issue to pay off the pres
ent city debt in a period of twenty
years.
This Templeton amendment, drawn
by the Honorable Christian Schuebel,
also provides that any councilman
voting to issue warrants in excess
of the budget shall be personally li
able for the money thus appropriat
ed, and shall also pay a fine of $500
for each separate warrant so issued.
For a time this startled the council
men; but they soon took heart again,
apparently none of them aside from
Templeton thinking that the propos
ed amendment stood any chance of
being adopted by the people.
The budget as finally adopted is
based upon an expected income of
$47,000 for 1916; this income to be
made up of $28,000 to be raised by
a ten-mill levy, $15,000 from the
road fund, and $4,000 which is ex
pected to be forthcoming from fines,
licenses and franchises. This money
has been parceled out by the council
as follows, and the councilmanic idea
of spending it has to be ratified by
a taxpayers' meeting called for Mon
day, November 8.
Five thousand dollars is to be
. spent for interest on $100,000 of five
percent bonds, $5,000 is to be spent
retiring road warrants, $9,000 is to
be spent retiring general fund war
rants, and $600 is to be spent for in
terest on the elevator bonds. This
makes a total out of the budget of
$114,600 that is to be spent On "dead
horse."
For engineering purposes, $1,500 is
to be allowed, of which $1,300 goes
for salaries. The City Recorder gets
$1,300 for his department and inci
dentals. The city health officer is al
lowed $300, and the police depart
ment gets a total of $3,630.
In settling the amount for the po
lice department the first festivity of
the evening occurred when Council
man Cox moved that the night pa
trolmen be raised from $65 to $75
per month. The motion carried with
out dissent, whereupon Councilman
Hackett moved that the chief of po
lice be also paid $75 a month, a re
duction of $15. Councilman Albright
was on his feet at once, and declar
ing that the chief was a much over
worked man, moved as a substitute
that the chief be raised to a hundred
dollars a month. Councilman Metz
ner supported this change, and warm
ly praised Chief Shaw for the work
that he did. On a vote the council
split even on the matter. Councilman
Long being absent. Hackett, Van
Auken, Cox and Andrews voted for
the reduction, and Albright, Metzner,
Templeton and Meyer for the in
crease. The mayor cast the deciding
vote, favoring the increase in the
chief's wages.
Mr. Hackett remarked that raising
salaries was a mighty poor way to
start economy. In discussing the
several items under the police bud
get the sum of $90 for fumigation
, brought out the fact that the Euro
pean war had greatly increased the
price of standard fumigants, Mayor
Jones saying that the increase in the
cost of permanganate of potash and
formaldehyde alone was 1000 per
cent Fumigation was set down in
the budget therefore at $350 but lat
er on was erduced again to $90, and
the excess expected expenditure was
taken care of in an emergency allow
ance of $500.
The fire and water committee got
an allowance of $1728, no increases
CITY
BUDGE
II
COUNCIL
(Continued on Page 8)
ALBRIGHT SLIPS ONE
Council Votes $500 for Pure Mountain
Water Celebration .
Councilman John F. Albright taught
City Lawn Mower Sharpener Temple
ton a trick or two Monday night, when
he maneuvered two council meetings
in succession to get a vote on the ap
propriation of $500 for Oregon City
and West Linn's combined celebration
over attaining pure mountain water,
A letter from the South Fork Water
commission, suggesting that the coun
cil set aside $500 for the celebration
started the ball rolling. When the
motion was made to appropriate the
sum Councilman Hackett moved that
the matter be indefinitely postponed
and Mr. Templeton seconded the mo
tion.
After much discussion, in which Mr.
Albright and Meyer spoke of the ben
efits that would accrue the city from
celebrating its new water supply; and
in which Mr. Hackett said that "it is
just such things as this business that
have landed poor old Oregon City
where she is today," the matter went
to a vote. .
Templeton, Hackett and Andrews
voted against the appropriation and in
favor of tabling the matter, and Meyer
and Albright voted for the appropria
tion. Council Metzner refused to vote,
Later on uounciiuman uox came in
and said that he "wanted to see the
celebration," and then Mr. Metzner
voted for it. Recorder Loder refused
to recognize this as a vote, and Mr. Al
bright moved that the matter be recon.
sidered. Councilman Hackett object
ed, saying that Mr. Albright, having
voted against the motion, could not
move reconsideration, and the Mayor
sustained him.
Councilman Albright then moved
adjournment, which was taken. Mr.
Hackett put on his hat and started for
the door, but before he reached it the
mayor called the council together in a
special session, and Mr. Albright then
moved that the $500 be appropriated
for the celebration. Mr. Templeton
grabbed a copy of the city charter and
roared an objection, but Albright's mo
tion got a second, and on vote the mat
ter went Albright, Cox, Metzner and
Meyer in favor of the appropriation,
and Hackett and Andrews against it.
Mr. Templeton was so busy reading
the charter to find some way of block
ing the move that he didn't vote.
Mr. Metzner then moved that the
City attorney draw an ordinance ap
propriating the $500 from the fire and
water funds, and this carried by the
same voto; with Templeton doing a
war-dance about the council chamber
and shouting at the top of his voice
that the proceedings were "flim-flam,
nothing but flim-flam."
Mayor Jones ruled that they were
regular.
LODER HAS PERILS
City Recorder Enjoys Thrills While
Out on Sunday Auto Jaunt
John Loder, city recorder in the
county seat, and owner of a car that
only with difficulty can control its
running to the speed limits provided
in this state, took his big benzine
chariot up past Currinsville Sunday
last. . Mr, Loder says he was alone
at the time.
Beyond Currinsville there is a steep
hill on the road, and in negotiating
this hill something .happened. The
next thing Mr. Loder knew he was
some distance from his car, and the
big buggy was reclining gracefully
on its side some distance from the
road. Mr. Loder sent out S. O. S.
calls, and eventually a block and
tackle outfit arrived from Estacada
and righted his giant car.
When he returned to Oregon City
Mr. Loder was very careful to tell
nobody about his spill; but as the En
terprise says "truth will out," and it
did in this case. First reports had
it that Mr. Loder was hurled 50 feet
through the air and that his car
turned a somersault over a five-foot
fenqe, but he says any such report is
grossly exaggerated.
COUNTY WORTH MORE
Assessor Finds Increase of Wealth
Amounts to $331,980
According to County Assessor Jack
Clackamas county is worth narly a
third of a million dollars more than
it was last year; the assessed valua
tion of property in the county (ex
clusive of public service corporations)
being $24,242,200. This is a net in
crease over last year's figures of
$331,980.
This increase exists in spite of the
fact that the county has lost much
valuable( property during the year
through the sale to the government
of the locks and canal about the falls
and the dismantling of the Crown
Columbia paper mill.
Aside from the property assessed
by Mr. Jack, the county also has some
$6,016,549 worth of property the val
ue of which is placed by the state tax
commission each year.
Much Cattle Bought
Figures compiled by County Assess
or Jack show that there are 2400 more
head of cattle in the county this year
than last. Most of this increase is
due to the purchase of dairy herds by
Clackamas farmers, many of whom
have bought blooded stock. The As-
sessment rolls show that the increase
in horses for the corresponding per
iod is but 55 head; but this is explain
ed by the heavy sales made to agents
to the warring European governments,
who have been combing the country
for cavalry and artillery steads.
OU CITY NOW
IS
WILLAMETTE VALLEY SOUTH
ERN TAKES UPLAND TRADE
TO PORTLAND DIRECT
ROAD'S LOCAL BACKERS ANGRY
Announcement Made by President G.
B. Dimick Is Taken as Slap in
Face by Merchants and Others
With two through trains a day to
and from Portland, and with a special
express and baggage service between
Portland and all points on the Willa
mett Valley Southern railroad, Oregon
City has again become a way sta
tion, and dreams that people have
been enjoying about the trade that the
home road would bring to the coun
ty seat have dissolved into thin air.
County seat merchants who gave sup
port to the road in the trying days
when effort was being made to get
funds for construction work feel that
they have been "double crossed," and
declare that while the road never
made it easy for farmers to shop in
the county seat, it is now making it
very, very easy for them to do their
shopping in Portland.
Incidentally the city administration
is taking an interest in ths latest move
of the Wllamette Valley Souhern, and
there is talk of reviving the demand
made some months ago that the W. V.
S. lin emake some provision fir
caring for Oregon City passengers in
stead of dumping them off near the
Abernethy bridge. There is a special
council committee that for some time
has been supposed to make arrange
ments for the Willamette Valley
Southern to issue transfers to the in-
terurban cars, so that people who
want to reach the business heart of
Oregon City can do so without paying
an extra fare or walking a mile or
so. Now that the valley road has de
liberately "slapped Oregon City in
the face" and innaugurated a through
service to Portland, it is said that the
council will do more than insist on
transfers that it will order the road
to run its trains up into the business
section of the county seat, or make
trouble over the unfulfilled Water
street franchise.
Mayor Linn E. Jones and other city
officials are not a bit backward in ex
pressing their opinion of the latest
move of the Dimick line, and these
opinions are not flatterng. Main
street merchants, for the most part,
look upon the road's Portland service
as a direct attack upon their busi.
ness; and will back the council in any
move that body makes to force the
Willamette Valley Southern to give a
real service to Oregon City. When
the road was being built, and when
money for its construction was being
begged in all quarters, it was con
stantly declared that Oregon City
ought to support the line because it
would open a rich trading territory to
the county seat, and would bring in a
vast amount of new business.
This new business has never mater
ialized to any great degree, people
living on the Willamette Valley South
ern finding it more convenient to
transfer to Portland trains at-the lit
tle depot near the Abernathy than to
walk uptown, or wait for an inbound
interurban on which they would have
to pay an extra fare. Especially was
this so in rainy weather, for inbound
valley trains did not connect with in
bound interurban trains the conven
ient connection was always in favor of
Portland travel. Now, with two thru
trains a day to Portland, Oregon City
will lose what little business it gain
ed from the road.
Surprising developments promise
to result from this latest anti-Oregon
City move of the "local road," and it
is believed that before the chapter in
transportation history is ended the
W. V. S. interests will see the wisdom
of affording at least a shuttle service
to the county seat's business section.
AGED MAN SUICIDE
Marion St. George Blows Heart Out
With Dynamite Caps
After telling children in the neigh
borhood that he was -going to kill
himself, Marion St. George, GO years
old, a farm-hand living near Latour
ette station on the Canby-Molalla
railroad, locked himself in his cabin
Monday afternoon and wrote a fare
well note. Then he lay down on the
bed, placed a number of dynamite
caps over his heart, lighted a fuse
leading to them, and awaited develop
ments.
Neighbors- were startled by the
noise of the explosion, and rushing in
found the entire side of St. George's
chest had been blown into atoms.
Coroner Hempstead and Sheriff Wil
son were notified of the man's act,
and went out to investigate. No in
quest was deemed necessary. Neigh
bors with whom St. George had talk
ed said that they believed the man
had at one time been married, but
that he had left his wife.
The Courier $1.00 per year if paid
in advance. Subscribe now.
STATION
MAYOR IN PERIL
Oijegon City's Executive Also Gets in
Mud When Pipe Bursts
Monday afternoon two or three
joints in the river end of the West
Linn pipe line worked loose under
pressure, and a fair-sized geyser ap
peared under the suspension bridge.
In short order the geyser made a min
iature Grand Canyon across Water
street, and poured a deluge of mud
and crushed rock into the Willamette
river. Before the valves in Elyville
could be turned off to stop the flood
the escaping water had undermined
some ten or twjenty square yards at
the intersection of Water and Sev
enth streets, and then the notables
began to arrive.
Among the spectators of the free
water display were Linwood Jones,
mayor of the county seat, Water Com
missioner Andresen, Water Superin
tendent Bill Howell, Jack Moffatt of
the Oregon Engineering & Construc
tion company, Coroner Hempstead,
Doc Eddy, the eminent horse-fixer,
Chief of Police Shaw, various and
sundry citizens and the local newspa
per bunch. Also Lloyd Riches. Af
ter the water was turned off and
ceased its swirling madly in the
trench it had excavated, many of the
notables crowded forward to get a
close.up view of the damage.
Among those who crowded closest
up were Mayor Jones, Jack Moffatt
and Doc Eddy. Without any warning
the ground under these heavyweights
suddenly got tired of its burden and
slumped silently away into the yawn
ing abyss into, which the united gaze
of the trio was focussed. Doc Eddy
felt it going first and leaped to the
mayor's back for safety; the mayor
leaped for Jack Moffatt, but on ac
count of his burden missed him about
four inches, and Jack leaped for solid
ground and got to it.
Doc Eddy didn't get very muddy
when the cave-in was over but May
or Jones was seen proceeding up the
street under forced draft, kicking
mud from his trousers and feet, and
vowing that never again would he try
to carry a man of Doc Eddy's weight
out of the path of a raging flood.
11
"JITNEY CIRCUS
I!
TEMPLETON SHOVES OVER HIS
PLAN TO PUT PORTLAND
CARS OUT OF GAME
MEETING FILLED WITH GAIETY
Mayor Jones and Taxpayers Flay Fol
lowers of Railroad Banner, and
Criticise Methods Used
The Courier apologizes at the
start for having two "council stories"
on the front page this . week but
when any council behaves as the city
dads of the council seat did on Mon
day night, it is wbrth a story in any
paper that pretends to print the chief
happenings of interest in its commun
ity. Monday night Councilman Temple
ton temporarily put the skids under
the jitneys that operate between Ore
gon City and Portland, and incidental
ly he piled up a nice bunch of grief
for himself and a few others. The
matter came to a showdown when
Templeton moved that several appli
cations for franchises from Portland
jitney men be granted.
"I move you, Mr. Mayor, . said
Templeton, 'that these applications
for jitney franchises be granted
(naming a number of the applicants
by name) and that their franchises
provide that they pay to Oregon City
the sum of $50 quarterly in advance,
that they put up a bond of $5,000 each
and that they be permitted to operate
between the hours of six in the morn
ing and ten at night."
Councilman Metzner seconded the
motion. Councilman Meyer said that
he thought the franchises ought to
provide that the jitneys follow a cer
tain definite route, and that the fran
chises have definite terms of life.
City Attorney Christian Schuebel
wanted a provision in the franchises
that jitney men could not stand on
the corners and solicit business for
their cars.-
Mayor Jones asked if any provision
was going to be made by the council
to govern local auto drivers who kept
their machines standing on the street
for hire. Mr. Schuebel replied that
all cars owned or operated from local
livery stables would be exempt,- and
that local for hire cars would not be
asked to obtain franchises.-
"It seems to me " said Mayor
Jones.
"Now don't go clouding the issue,
we are dealing solely with Portland
jitneys at this time," interrupted Mr.
Templeton.
Councilman Hackett asked Mr.
Templeton how he would square him
self for charging the Carver line
jitneys only $24 a year, while he
wanted to tax the Portland jits $200
per year. Mr. Metzner came to Hr.
Templeton's rescue, and replied that
the Carver jitneys would be "a bene-
(Continued on Page 8)
COUNCIL
VERY RAW STUFF
RUMORED
FRAMED
DOUBLE-CROSS OF PEOPLE AS
WELL AS RAILROAD SAID
TO BE CONSIDERED
FRANCHISE MAY HIDE SCHEME
Transfers to Portland Automobiles at
City Limits Reported to be
Idea of Foxy Promoter
The double-cross is being framed
right, if reports current on the street
of the county seat this week are to
bo believed.
The double-cross is to be hung on
the people of Oregon City and on the
Portland Railway, Light & Power
company, which is generally accepted
as being the moving spirit behind
Councilman Templeton's solicitude for
the "protection" of the public and the
banishing of Portland jitneys frorn
Oregon City.
The scheme in brief is this: the
council will give an exclusive fran
chise to a local jitney king to operate
cars within the city limits. The
local jitney will then make regular
runs to the Abernathy brige, and
charge 25 cents for the rido. At the
Abernathy bridge transfers will be
given to waiting Portland jitneys,
which will honor the transfers and
take passengers into Portland. People
who want to "jitney'' from Portland
to Oregon City will board the jits in
Portland, pay 25 cents, and at the
Abernathy bridge will be given tran
fers to the local jitney king's car.
The transfers will be honored for a
ride anywhere in Oregon City. -
Back of this scheme is the willing
ness of the Portland and local jitney
promoters to swap transfers, and if
there are any extra ones left over, to
redeem them from each other at a
face value of 20 cents.
This scheme is fine business just
as business.
And as a double-cross it is the
limit.
It is a double-cross on the people
of Oregon City, and on the Portland
Railway, Light & Power company,
which some of the xity councilman
say they want to "protect'' from jit
ney competition.
It is giving jitney privileges to
Portland for a nominal sum. exacted
from the local jitney king as a fee,
and barring out independent Portland
jitneys which are not in the game by
forcing them to pay $200 a year for
privilege of running less than half a
block within the county seat's limits.
It is a dirty piece of work. It is
about on a par with some other
schemes hatched in certain local
quarters.
Maybe the move on the part of
some of the council to cut out print
ing city ordinances and franchises has
something to do with this. It is the
sort of stuff that would be most like
ly to be covered up with silence. It is
the sort of a rumor that ought to
make every citizen sit up and watch
any franchise that the council may
grant. In short, it is slipping over'
the double-cross.
That an exclusive jitney franchise
is not an impossibility, as far as the
vote of het council is concerned has
already been, shown. And when an
exclusive franchise wouldn't even be
necessary to slip this over.
This jitney mess has ceased to be
funny and foolish and ridiculous it is
getting to the stage where it will
bear watching.
This is good dope for taxpayers and
voters of Oregon City to remember,
and to look into.'
And if anybdy wants to take of
fense at these Remarks, the Courier
invites them to make their kick and
then we'll tell some more about the
double-cross.
MARSHAL FALLS DOWN
A. J. Ames "Drops Through Skylight
In Portland Lodging House
A. J. Ames, city marshal of Esta
cada, and known more or less promi
nently in the county seat as a game
warden, dropped into the L. & II. sa
loon in Portland last week, under the
Willamette lodging house, at 326
Stark street. Patrolmen Shaffer and
Thompson, who investigated the case,
say that Ames game down from Es
tacada to work off the tedium of a
dry-town, and did it a bit too well.
They reached this conclusion because
in dropping into the saloon Ames did
it literally pluging down through a
skylight in the ceiling of the bar
room. Ames was taken to the emergency
hospitai in the central police station
and patched up where the glass of
the skylight had cut him when he
went through. In dropping from the
window of a room he occupied in the
lodging house to the saloon floor ha
fell abut 20 feet, and was pretty well
bruised. After he had been given
first aid a charge f drunk and disor
derly conduct was placed against him;
it being illegal in Portland to enter
saloons except by the regularly pro
vided doors.
MRS. ENGLER DIES
Molalla Pioneer, Sister-in-law of Abi
gail Duniway, Laid to Rest
Mrs. Nancy H. Engle, a sister-in-
law of the late Abigail Scot Duni
way, and a pioneer of the Molalla
country, died at the home of her
daughter, Mrs. Thomas McFadden, at
Molalla, last Saturday evening. Her
death followed an attack of la grippe.
The funeral was held Monday, and
scores of people from the country
about Molalla called to pay their
final respects to the woman they had
known for so long.
Nancy H. Duniway was born Feb
ruary 16, 1838, and crossed the plains
with her father's family. Her mother
died on the trip to Oregon territory.
On this trip west, at Barlow's Gate,
she first met Mrs. Bagby and hei
family, who were to be their neigh
bors at the new home. The Duni
way family settled near Needy.
In 1854 she was married to Samu
el Engle and seven children were born.
For 40 years the family lived upon
one part of the Engle donation land
claim and then moved to a new place
on the Wilhoit road. Mrs. Engle's
sons and daughters settled nearby on
different portions of the home place;
Mrs. McFadden in the ranch house;
Mrs. Ben Harless on the adjoining
50, and Mrs. W. W. Everhart on
the corner of the place which comes
within the city limits of Molalla.
Clarence, Albert, W. H. and D. Engle
all have homes nearby and the Engle
family is one of the most prominent
In that section of the county. All
of her children, excepting one son,
Clarence, survive Mrs. Engle. Mr.
Engle died March 1, 1902.
COUNCIL APPROVES BONDS
Charter Amendment Providing for
Levy and Debt Refund Filed
A charter amendment providing for
a seven-mill municipal levy, and foi
a further levy of seven mills to be
devoted exclusively to paying the
interest and principal of a $275,000
bond issue was presented to the coun
cil at a special meeting late Monday
afternoon, and was unanimously ap
proved. The bonds provided are to
run for a period of 20 years, and are
to be sold at not less than par and
accrued interest.
The amendment provides that the
city levy shall not exceed seven mills
unless Upon a vote of the electors, and
that any councilman who votes for
an appropriation beyond the sum to
be realized by the seven mills shall be
held personally liable for the money
and shall be fined $500. The amend
ment is the result of a compromise
between the council and the "commit
tee of nine," which has been working
on needed changes in the city method
of doing business.
The $275,000 in bonds are to be
utilized for refunding such portion of
the city debt, aside from the $100,000
bond issue already out, that it may
be deemed wise to take up after Jan
uary 10, 1916. The entire bond is
sue need not be sold.
HOW NICE THIS IS
"One Day Rest" Outfit Wants to Put
On Sunday Lid Tight
We hear that a nice Methodist
preacher is traveling over the state,
advocating "one day of rest out of
seven," and telling the hard-working
laboring man that he is trying to do
something for him. This sounds very
nice everybody ought to be able to
rest one day out of the week. Most
of us rest on Sunday.
However, this one-day-rest outfit
has strings tied to it. They want to
close the theatres on Sunday, stop
the ball games, and otherwise put on
the blue-law lid. In short they want
to tell us how we are to rest. They
want the laboring man to rest on
Sunday but they don't want it to be
possible for him to see a ball game
or a theatrical performance or any
other sort of mental recreation while
he is resting.
The outfit will initiate a bill for
"one day of rest out of seven," it is
said, and the bill will also carry a
Sunday blue-law. Just for a guess
the Courier will bet that the measure
is snowed under and all because the
promoters want us to rest in their
way, and not in the way that may suit
us.
PROHIS HOLD MEET
Humor Not Entirely Absent from
Gathering in Buptist Church
Oregon's statewide prohibition law
and what would probably happen
when it went into effect the first of
the year, were discussed at a meeting
held in the First Baptist church, in
the county seat, last Sunday. Among
those who spoke were R. P. Hutton,
state leader of the Anti-Saloon Leag
ue leader. Attorney General Brown
and Dr. Anderson, of The Dales, who
were on the program, sent regrets.
Mr. Hutton explained the working
of the new law, and forecasted bitter
conflict when the authorities tried to
enforce it. Among other cheerful
visions that he had was a procession
of "booze boats'' plying on the Willa
mette river and calling at Oregon
City. As both Oregon and Washing
ton will go dry, and as the ocean
going boats from California cannot
come up the Willamette to the coun
ty seat, quite a few people who heard
Mr. Hutton wondered where the boats
would come from.
At the end of the meeting an open
(Continued on Page 8)
FARMERS
1
LIABILITY INSURANCE IS NOW
AVAILABLE FOR SEVERAL
CLASSES OF LABOR
ACT MUST BE ACTUALLY MET
Formal Acceptance of Terms Required
Before Benefits May Be Enjoy
ed by Employer or Employee
(By Carl Abrams)
Farmers of Oregon are coming to
realize that insrance for their work
men against accident is desirable,
therefore the State Industrial Acci
dent Commission has established a
rate for different lines of farming
operations under authority of Section
31 of the amended act passed by the
last legislature and which became ef
fective July 1st. The great interest
manifested by farmers is shown by
the fact that up to date about 200
f aimers have availed themselves of
the benefits of this Act, although the
Commission has up to this time been
so busy putting into operation the new
amendments to the law that no effort
has been made to notify farmers of
their privilege to take advantage of
the Act. This information is be
coming widely disseminated and has
caused a number cf unfortunate in
stances in the Commission office dur
ing the past few weeks.
In a number of cases men have
been injured on the farm and the
employer has then made application
to come under the Act and sent in
remittances to cover his premiums
with the hope that by so doing the
injured man would be cared for by
the State. This, of course, is im
portant as will be realized by all
readers. It is similar to insuring a
building after the same has been
burned down and then expect to col
lect insurance on the building. Sim
ilarly a great many applications have
come in from farm hands who have
been injured, for benefits under the
Act, they thinking that as long as
they have not rejected the Act they
are entitled to its benefits. However,
no protection can be extended to
workmen unless accepted by applica
tion of the employer.
The rate fixed for farming opera
tions in general farming including all
operations incident thereto, two per
cent of the payroll. Threshing, clover
hulling, hay and straw baling 4 per
cent; prune drying 1 percent; wood
cutting, 3 percent; ... land clearing
without blasting S percent; with
blasting, 5 percent; road work 3 per
cent. .' , .
In addition to the above the em
ployer is required to collect from the
workmen and remit with his own con
tribution one cent a day from each
workman. In computing the amount
due the Commission add $15.00 per
month for board when the men are
boarded. For instance, a farm hand
is paid $40.00 per month and board
and works 26 days, his wages would
be $55.00 per month. The premium
would be 2 percent of $55.00, or $1.10
plus 26 cents to be contributed by the
workmen making a total amount to
be remitted to the Commission of
$1.36 for the month. This is due and
payable on or before the 15th of the
month following thnt in which the
work is performed.
ThoBe farmers desiring to secure
the protection of this Act may do so
by making application to the Com
mission for application blanks and a
copy of the law.
The protection afforded to both
employer and workman is absolute.
In case the workman is injured in
the course of his employment, the
Commission will pay all expenses for
doctors' bills, hospital bills, medicine
etc., not exceeding $250.00 and in ad
dition compensate the workman for
time lost by paying him a portion of
his wages, not less than $30.00 per
month. Under no circumstances can
he sue his employer for damages on
account of injuries sustained as the
money paid by the Commission is full
compensation under the law for the
injury. This insures the employer
absolute protection from damage suits
and possibly from court costs and in
sures the workmen of the payment
of his expenses and money on which
to live while injured.
WEST LINN WISE
Improvement Club Against Secret
Meetings of City Council
Favoring amendments to the West
Linn charter prohibiting secret or
"executive" sessions of the city coun.
cil, prohibiting cattle from running at
large within the city, and favoring a
division of the city into four wards,
the West Linn Improvement club held
an interesting meeting last week.
Officers for the ensuing year were
also elected, those chosen being L. L.
Pickens, president; Mrs. P. J. Winkle,
vice-president; Nick Michels, treasur
er; James Nichols, secretary, and Er
nest Layton, ovtemor.
West Linn people are also favoring
a consolidation of their city with the
neighboring city of Willamette.